Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The point guard position has always been the deepest in all of fantasy basketball.
Related: Fantasy Basketball Rookie Profile: C Alex Len
2013 is certainly no different.
You have the elite guys; Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, you name it. They start off your fantasy team, the players you build around. However, as you get later towards your draft, you find players who can not only win you your draft, but your championship as well.
Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas is one of those players.
He doesn’t get a ton of love in both fantasy and real life basketball, but that needs to change. Like, five minutes ago. The 24-year old guard is primed to do big things, and if the second half of last season is any indication, that’s exactly what is going to happen. After the All-Star break, Thomas was a fantasy star, averaging 17.3 points, 5.4 assists, 1.0 steals and an impressive 2.1 three-pointers per game. Those strong numbers were during 30.6 minutes per game and only 28 games played. Perhaps more importantly, Thomas took very good care of the basketball. He averaged just 2.4 turnovers per 36 minutes, sporting a turnover rate of 12.9 percent. That number was better than top-notch point guards such as Kyrie Irving. He made fantasy owners wanting more during that span. Thomas showcased his massive potential, but what do the Kings do? Oh, they go out and acquire point guard Greivis Vasquez, teasing fantasy owners everywhere. The two have been battling it out for the starting point guard position, and while many believe that Vasquez will eventually win out, let’s breakdown the preseason stats thus far.
Preseason Stats
|
Player |
FG% |
AST |
STL |
MIN |
| Isaiah Thomas | 40% | 34 | 6 | 159 |
| Greivis Vasquez | 38.1% | 12 | 4 | 68 |
Doesn’t seem close at all, does it? I think the Kings have to start Thomas at the one. He knows the offense much better than Vasquez, he’s outplayed him during the preseason, and while Greivis was arguably the most improved player of 2012, Thomas’ second half of last year is deserving of the starting spot. He has better chemistry with his fellow teammates, especially Sacramento’s best player, DeMarcus Cousins. The two were a very strong one-two punch last season, and Cousins clearly benefited from Thomas being on the court with him. In fact, 79 of Cousins’ 482 field goals last season were assisted by Thomas. That’s good enough for over 30 more than the next highest set-up man, John Salmons (46). The offense will click much more with Thomas running the offense, rather than Vasquez.
Point guard is incredibly deep, folks. But make sure you don’t forget about Isaiah Thomas on draft day.
You’ll soon regret it.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
